Internal combustion engine provided with oil filter

Abstract

An internal combustion engine is provided with an oil filter 10 through which lubricant oil having pulsating pressure passes. The oil filter 10 has an oil filter body 11 attached to a filter base 20 , and a cover 30 formed integrally with the filter base 20 and circumferentially surrounding the oil filter body 11 . The cover 30 is provided with a window part 36 through which a space 35 formed between the oil filter body 11 and the cover 30 opens outward. The cover 30 has a circumferentially endless annular end wall 33 provided between the window part 36 and an end wall 33 a . The cover 30 has a reinforcing member 41 provided with an opening part 46 and attached to the outside surface of the cover 30 so that the opening part 46 coincides with the window part 36 of the cover 30 . The oil filter 10 can be properly cooled and sounds radiated by the oil filter 10 and the cover 30 can be reduced.

1. An internal combustion engine provided with an oil filter for cleaning lubricant oil discharged by a positive-displacement oil pump, said oil filter comprising:
 a filter base attached to an engine body of the internal combustion engine; and 
 an oil filter body attached to the filter base, said oil filter body having a base part with a joining surface closely joined to the filter base, and a head part opposite the base part; 
 wherein the oil filter body is provided with a cover having a base part formed integrally with the filter base and a head part axially opposite the base part of the cover, said cover circumferentially surrounding the oil filter body, the oil filter body and the cover forms a space between the oil filter body and the cover, the cover is provided with a window part through which the space opens diametrically outward, and the cover has a circumferentially endlessly continuous part in a region axially extending between the window part and the head part of the cover. 
 
   
   
     2. The internal combustion engine according to  claim 1 , comprising a reinforcing structure for reinforcing an edge part of the window part of the cover. 
   
   
     3. The internal combustion engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the cover includes a cylindrical cover body provided with the window part, and a reinforcing member attached to the cover body and having an opening part coinciding with the window part of the cover body, the continuous part is formed integrally with the cover body, and an edge part around the opening part of the reinforcing member coincides with an edge part around the window part of the cover body. 
   
   
     4. The internal combustion engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the window part of the cover is formed at a position diametrically opposite the engine body. 
   
   
     5. The internal combustion engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the head part of the cover is provided with an axial opening, and the cover is disposed between the oil filter and an exhaust pipe connected to the engine body so as to extend downward from the filter base such that the head part of the cover is at a level below the exhaust pipe. 
   
   
     6. The internal combustion engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the space between the oil filter body and the cover is an annular space. 
   
   
     7. The internal combustion engine according to  claim 1 , wherein the window part of the cover includes a plurality of axially adjoining holes. 
   
   
     8. The internal combustion engine according to  claim 2 , wherein the reinforcing structure is formed of a plate, and includes a pair of holding parts attached to parts of the cover respectively on the circumferentially opposite sides of the window part, and a covering part having a sectional shape resembling a circular arc and extending along the circumference of the oil filter body between the pair of holding parts. 
   
   
     9. The internal combustion engine according to  claim 8 , wherein the covering part is provided with an opening part of a shape corresponding to that of the window part of the cover.